恋情 (Hiatus or Discontinuation?)
by everycloudhas
Summary: To him, she was Ichigo's little human friend. A very pretty friend. He sort of knew they have undisclosed feelings for one another. Besides, he himself loved a certain petite black-haired individual. So, there was no harm in asking her to call him by his name, right? "Renji-kun." And, but, why does his heart throb into a frenzy every time his name comes out from her tempting lips.
1. Chapter 1

(恋情)

It all started rather innocently.

Abarai Renji was appointed to be the shinigami stationed at their quaint little town which was a magnet for attracting hollows.

A fukutaichou assigned to such a seemingly easy task?

More likely a downgrading of some sorts.

Rumors has it,

It has something to do with kidou, an explosion, a fire and a very angry taichou.

And so it begins.

(恋姬)

"So, Renji, tell us again why you really doing here in Karakura?" Kurosaki Ichigo viewed the red-haired tattooed shiningami with suspicion.

"And as I have told you for the hundredth time, I was assigned here." The red-haired tattooed shiningami answered in exasperation.

"A distinguished fukutaichou such as yourself assigned to such a simple job. I find it rather difficult to comprehend and for once I have to agree with Kurosaki." Ishida Uryuu did the unexpected and went along with Ichigo's uncertainty about the fukutaichou's reason for being at their town.

Ichigo smirked triumphantly and Ishida adjusted his glasses.

Abarai Renji was squirming on the inside, goddamnit! He was a fukutaichou, he must not show any signs of nervousness, but with four pairs of eyes staring at him, he could feel the sweat coming down the sides of his face.

And he needed to ask a favor as well.

"Why can't the four of you just be glad to see me? After all, the five of us have been through a lot of life and death experiences together. Doesn't that count for anything? And... I thought I am a friend. Don't you all consider me as a friend?" For a big guy with red hair and tattoos, Renji sure can look pitiful when required.

The only girl in the group stepped towards him, "Of course you are our friend, Abarai-kun. Isn't that correct, everyone?" She directed her pleading gaze to the rest of her friends.

There was hemming and humming, a nod and a grunt.

Close enough.

Inoue Orihime beamed happily at Renji, "See, Abarai-kun, you are a friend of ours. A very good friend of ours." She added to perk up his spirits.

Renji grinned at the bubbly girl. She was real something. This human girl. So caring and kind.

A princess.

"Thanks, Inoue." He heaved out his breath. Now for the hard part.

"Yes. We might be your friends. But do you consider us to be one as well?" Ishida commented warily.

"What do you mean, Ishida?"

"What I or we were thinking is that, there is nothing extraordinarily happening or going to happen in our town to warrant your presence here, right? Do we need to be vigilant for anything?" Ishida explained.

"But Karakura town is already weird." Renji looked confused.

This earned him a smack on the back of the head courtesy of the orange-haired scowling 'friend'.

"You know what he is talking about. Should we be on our guard for any new danger?" Ichigo enlightened the befuddled tattooed one.

"Oh, no. Nothing beyond what has been happening." Renji assured them.

"Really?"

"Yes." Renji assured them again.

"In that case, we will be going. Inoue, do you need me to walk you home?" Ichigo asked fast and behaved like this was something as common as hollows and their hometown. He ignored the incredulous stares form the three males.

The auburn-haired beauty looked shock for a moment, she blushed beautifully and slowly stammered, "H-Huh!? U-Ummm... R-Really?" She gave him a wide-eyed gaze of disbelief.

Ichigo grinned boyishly, "Really. Should we go?"

Heart fluttering rapidly up to her throat, Orihime could only give a small nod.

All of them were ready to go on their way when Renji stopped them.

"Wait!" He shouted desperately.

"I Knew it. I knew that there was something you are not telling us." Ichigo accused him.

"What!? No!?" Renji denied it vehemently.

"Oh, I see. Does that mean you want to walk Inoue-san home as well?" Ishida asked slyly.

Slow-witted Renji did not understand what was really behind the question and so he asked the princess if he should walk her home.

Before the innocent princess could give him an answer, Ichigo took hold of Orihime's small wrist and glared possessively at Renji, "No. She doesn't. Let's go, Inoue." He gave the gentle healer a softer look and tugged her wrist gently.

The blushing girl kept her head down and meekly followed him as he held on to her wrist.

"No! Wait! I need to ask a favor." Renji called out as he saw them moving again.

"Not likely." Ichigo answered impassively for all of them. His hand still on the gentle healer's wrist.

And Renji, ignorant as ever, and brash, grabbed hold of Orihime's other wrist.

Immediately there was a change in the air, stifling and suffocating.

Ishida and Sado Yasutora looked at each other and then at the princess caught in the middle, they were not worried for their gentle friend. He will never do anything to hurt her, it was the one touching her that called out for trouble.

"Let go of her, Renji." Ichigo warned him in a quiet manner unlike what was happening on his insides. Something dark and dangerous was instigating him to do much more than ordering the bastard to remove his filthy hand off his princess.

"Only if you all can listen to what I have to ask."

"Let go of her first." Ichigo snarled and moved threatening close to Renji.

Was he really going to hurt him?

Orihime decided to do something before blood was shed.

"Abarai-kun, please let go of me. We will stay and hear what you have to say, alright?" Orihime appealed to him.

He took a glance at Ichigo. A real hard look. Finally, recognition seeped into his slow processing mind.

Oh.

He dropped the wrist immediately. "Sorry." It was an apology directed more to Ichigo than to her but Orihime accepted it nevertheless.

"It is all right, Abarai-kun. You meant nothing by it. Now, what is it that you wanted to ask of us." She was talking to Renji but her concerned gaze was on Ichigo.

Ichigo knew she was looking at him, he composed himself before he felt himself ready to face her and to assure her he was fine. He took a deep breath, let it out and turned to face her.

Her concerned smile turned to a confused one when Ichigo leant forward and whispered, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." He smirked at the stunned expressions on her face and the rest of his friends at his unforeseen act.

Orihime pouted with a ever reddening face. '_Worried? Who was worried.'_ She tried pulling her wrist free from his grasp. But he was not letting her go. _'Kurosaki-kun is so mean.'_ She thought childishly as she took in his complacent look. He chose that moment to glance at her and her heart halted to a stop before she quickly turned her attention to the interesting scenery at her feet.

Her heart was speeding on the orange highway. She felt the grip tightened around the wrist and she wondered if he could feel the pulsating throbbing of what he was doing to her.

And Ichigo tried to figure out what is it about her that makes him acts the way he does when he is around her.

(恋情)


	2. Chapter 2

(_Yoshi. A new update before the first whistle is blown. Many thanks, especially to : **aiko1991, absolutefaith,** **silvertwilightgemini, Annabelle4.0, Anonymous Starbucks Lover, LS77, naleah, Ermilus, himelove22, Ichihime94, yoona-unnie, nypsy, Renji4eva, and the two guest reviewers.** Oh yeah, thanks to nypsy for telling me about the lack of translation for the kanji or hanzi characters. (_恋情)_ is a play on Renji's name (_ 恋次)._ Separately, the two characters could translate into a lot of meaning and even together, there are two to three explanations but I am going with (_恋情_) = _(lovesickness)._ And as for _(恋姬_), _(恋) = (yearn)_ and _(姬),_ hey, you all should know this word, it is (_princess)._ Of course. Hnmm, Renji's name could be a title to a new story.)_

(恋情)

Nobody moved.

Nobody wanted to say anything.

There was no disguising it.

They were totally interested in the scene in front them.

It was like watching a high definition movie in true surround-sound stereo.

A romantic movie.

The protagonist, a scowling sullen hero who might or might not understand how he feels about the main female lead. No matter how differently he treats her from all others.

The female character, a blushing beauty, who everyone knows loves the dense hero but is too afraid to say anything lest it would jeopardize their friendship and who fears it is a case of unrequited love.

Whether a tear jerker with a happy ending or otherwise, that was what they were waiting for it to unfold, right in front of their eyes.

And they continued to watch in silence.

The protagonist still has his hand on her wrist, his fingers softly encircled her slim wrist like a cuff. Was he afraid of her running away from... him. He continued to gaze at her with his ever present scowl softening a little at the girl with her head bowing down.

"Inoue,"

And the three males unabashedly, moved closer.

There was no response from the heroine, instead the wind softly answered him with a light breeze making her satiny hair danced and sparkled from the sun's smile.

"Inoue,"

And the hand on the tiny wrist journeyed, slightly wavering down to her small soft hand, he hesitatingly laced his fingers with her small hand, heart pounding furiously as he gauges how her reaction will be.

A soft surprised gasp.

The head remained facing the ground.

But,

Her smaller hand started to intertwine with his larger rough hand.

The warmth from such a small hand jolted him, he forgotten how to breathe, he could not breathe.

He did not care.

All he cared was the hand in his.

And the girl.

"Inoue," He wanted to see her face.

He wanted to see her smiling at him.

But even with her hand in his, she still did not want... or dare? to face him.

He gave her one more chance.

"Inoue,"

Nothing.

And then he grasped her hand tightly and pulled her towards him.

At this unexpected gesture, Inoue Orihime finally lifted her head.

She caught glimpses of playfulness in his rich chocolate eyes before she steadied herself by putting her arm up as her school bag dropped with a soft thud onto the ground.

Her trembling hand,

It landed palm down on his hard muscular chest.

Directly on his frantically beating heart.

The beautiful blushing female lead gazes shyly at the smirking protagonist who actually looks not so surly.

The audience of three moved together as one, even closer to the match made in heaven couple.

They continued to watch with rapt interest.

Abarai Renji wished his short fellow shinigami was here. She could be doing her godawful terrible, (not that he will ever admit to that in her face), drawings of the two sigh-worthy leads.

Ishida Uryuu prayed the obtuse idiot will not say anything to hurt Inoue-san. Inoue-san and her fragile heart.

Sado Yasutora wondered what type of music was most appropriate for the scene playing out in front of them.

Inoue Orihime could not do anything. She was frozen by the rich velvety chocolate eyes and the intensity of his gaze on her.

Kurosaki Ichigo, well, he knew what he wanted to do.

And he wanted witnesses for what he was going to do.

He looked at the girl with her hand on his heart.

Was it a sign?

"Inoue,"

Hearts started to flutter, a large hand tightened its grip on the smaller one, a pair of quivering lips, a sharp intake of air, a dry mouth, a swallow, a look full of heated determination,

"I w..."

BEEP!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Abarai fukutaichou's hollow detecting device chose at that very moment to go off.

All pairs of eyes were on him as he fumbled to silence the wretched device.

"Sorry, sorry." Renji apologized profusely as he finally muted the damned interrupter.

He felt embarrassed and perhaps, a little worried.

Three pairs of eyes were giving him death glares, well, two and a half. For with Sado, you can only see one eye.

He was not duly worried about the deadly glares.

It was the fourth pair of sweet honey eyes that has him concerned.

They were filled with so much sad disappointment.

And they looked unnaturally bright.

Was he going to make her cry?

He did not want to see that expression on her face.

He did not know why it brought on a tightening of his chest.

Or

Could it be his heart?

What could he do to make that expression go away and this simmering uneasy feeling to vanish as well.

"How many?"

"Huh?" Renji heard the question but he did not understand it.

"How many?" Ichigo repeated resignedly as he bent down to pick up Orihime's school bag. His scowl deepened. "The hollows, you idiot!" He was not feeling so happy right now.

"Oh. It's alright. I will deal with it." Renji gave a sheepish grin. He glanced hopefully at the young couple. "You continue with what you were doing." He almost pleaded at Ichigo for the princess's sake.

"Please check for the numbers, Abarai-kun." Ishida wanted to know if he should lend a hand.

"I told you, I have got it." Nevertheless he did as he was told as he started to look at the screen.

They saw his eyes widening as he seemed to be counting silently as to what was shown to him.

Renji looked up suddenly to see everybody staring intently at him. He was much too late to wipe the shock expression from his face. He knew everyone has noticed it but still he put up a nonchalant front.

He faced Ichigo and Orihime first, "Liked I said, I can handle it. You two continue with whatever you were going to do." He gave them a little confident smirk before turning to Ishida and Sado. "The two of you, don't disturb the happy couple. You are coming with me." Eyebrows twitching and a small jerk of the head, Renji tried his best to be discreet.

Without another word, he went off in a flash.

Ishida and Sado looked at each other warily and then they too were gone.

Ichigo and Orihime were left standing to stare at the backs of their friends.

Ichigo felt the soft hand tugging his rougher hand and even before he looked at her, he knew as to what she was going to say.

"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime started to say timidly.

Ichigo seemed to be in an internal struggle over what she was going to say but, "Inoue, shall we go as well?"

She nodded agreeably.

"And Inoue, don't overdo it." Ichigo cautioned her somewhat sternly as he led her by the hand to the fight of extermination of the hollows.

Orihime gazed fondly at the strong back and instinctively, her hand laced itself closer to his.

She whispered faithfully,

"I know."

(恋姬)

_(Are you all excited? Are you ready? I wonder if there are a lot mistakes for this update. I am so giddy with joy over the world cup, I can't see straight. Please forgive any mistakes and do let me know of them. I will try to update as fast as I can but mom has already resigned herself to the fact of two football zombies masquerading as her husband and daughter for the next month or so. )_


	3. Chapter 3

(_Sigh. :( I am sooo depressed. I was extremely excited and now nearly all the countries we are cheering for are out of the world cup. So disappointed. So sorry for this short update. I needed something to get my mind off the beautiful game even for a few hours. Tell me how did I do after you have read it.)_

_(Thanks, especially to : **aiko1991, absolutefaith, silvertwilightgemini, Annabelle4.0, Anonymous Starbucks Lover, LS77, naleah, 12cathy, NaruHinaFanboy, Ermilus, himelove22, Ichihime94, yoona-unnie, SweetnSour715, Pablo Hirunata, finnythewise, Otepbunni, broman2, Tally Ho Mofos, Mihh, neoqueen, nypsy, Renji4eva, meteoric war, and all the guest reviewers.)**_

(恋情)

"So, how many did you get?"

"Do you need to ask?"

"More than all of you combined."

"..."

"I meant one-on-one combat, not the insect repellent method."

"Yeah! That's how a real man fights."

"A real man does not need to holler out his achievements."

"..."

The boys or rather men were bickering among themselves as to how many hollows they each has gotten.

"I only got three." A forlorn voice stated softly.

That stopped the macho competition.

The dejected princess bent her head and twiddled with her fingers nervously.

"But those three were very gigantic ones." Renji hastily tried to boost the princess confidence.

Ichigo glared annoyingly at him. He was unhappy the red-haired baboon has beaten him to comfort the gentle healer.

"That's right, Inoue. You did great. It's not the number but the size." He warmly praised the auburn-haired princess. This was contrary to what was said during the earlier male oneupmanship.

But, whatever. Anything to bring back a smile on her beautiful face.

Orihime lifted her head and smiled weakly, "Really?" She said unbelievably.

Ishida did the thing with his glasses which earned him double the derisive looks from Ichigo and Renji.

"Yes, Inoue-san. And you did use your Santen Kesshun to shield Kurosaki and Abarai from unseen danger." Ishida praised the healer and at the same time mocked the other two.

"Oi! Watch what you are saying, Ishida!"

"Yeah. What he said." Renji pointed at Ichigo.

"So, are you saying you did not need Inoue-san's help." Ishida slyly stated.

This time Ichigo beat Renji to the chase. "Thanks for looking out for me, Inoue." He noticed the shade of pink dusting her cheeks. "You must be tired. Shall we go?" He asked tenderly.

Orihime gave a small smile. "You are not just saying it, are you all?"

"What, no!"

"No!"

"Of course not. I never lied."

"..."

The princess's face lighted up and she beamed gratefully at her friends. She held out a small hand to Ichigo.

Ichigo puffed up with pride and the three males looked on in astonishment at the gentle healer's sudden boldness.

"My bag please, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo deflated from the hearing the request and stifled sniggering was heard.

He looked at the fair hand dancing in front of him waiting for her school bag and the said object in his hand. He has picked up her bag along with his own when the battle was over.

Why should an inanimate object get to enjoy the warmth of her smooth hand?

He stared at her waiting hand and at the bag again.

He thought about it really, _really_ hard.

He liked having her hand in his.

He stared.

And thought.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked and looked at him in confusion.

And his reply to her was to grab her hand quickly and turning away from her just as fast, he said hoarsely, "Let's go, Inoue."

Once again, there was a soft surprised gasp from her but then the fingers, as yet again, slowly and hesitantly laced themselves within his hand.

He gave an unseen relieved grin as he willed for his beating heart and heated face to resume normal function.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Her soft whisper carried by the gentle breeze softly caressed his ears and he felt like everything was right in the world.

The world stood still. There was only the two of them. Nothing mattered. It was just a boy and the girl he l...

"Wait!"

And Renji has to spoiled the moment.

"What!?" Ichigo fumed and glared furiously at him.

Renji decided to not beat around the bush anymore. "I need a place to stay!" He shouted out.

"I thought you were lodging with Urahara." Ichigo threw back at him.

For this stupid meaningless favor, he was interrupted, from what he did not really know. But all he knew he was not happy.

Not happy at all.

And an unhappy boy's thoughts turned to suspicious... jealousy? '_Why's Renji always butting in at the wrong_ _moments?_' Ichigo glanced at Renji who at that very moment was looking at the blushing princess. _'What the damn_ _hell! Could the red-haired tattooed freak be interested in Inoue!?'_ He squeezed the dainty hand that he was holding with more force than he should with that bitter resentful thought.

"Ouch." Orihime squeaked out unintentionally.

Realizing he has inadvertently hurt her, he quickly loosen his grip, but he was sure as hell not letting go of her hand or... her? so easily. "Sorry, Inoue."

Orihime shook her head and cheeks blushing for him, "It was not your fault, Kurosaki-kun. My mouth decided to speak for my hand instead of asking my brain first." She said innocently without hesitation and then proceeded to redden even more when she saw how everybody was staring at her.

Did she say something incredibly weird again?

And she bowed her head to avoid everybody's gazes.

Ichigo gave the small hand a reassuring squeeze. Orihime returned the comforting gesture but she continued to keep her head down.

"Inoue," Ichigo began in a low whisper,

"Oi, how about my problem?" And once again, the scowling one was interrupted by the 'rival'. Ichigo really felt like throttling Renji but to do that, he needed both his hands and well...

"Urahara-san not treating you well, is it?" Ishida hit the nail on the head.

Renji was stupefied. "How did you know? Urahara is a sadistic task master. Always ordering me to do the most demeaning jobs. Tessai, he's so fussy about table manners and he is always starving me. And don't get me started on Jinta. That kid is like the love child of Urahara and Tesai. Annoying brat. And the girl," He floundered over the name.

"Ururu-chan, Abarai-kun." Orihime helpfully told him with a smile.

"Thank you, Inoue." He grinned gratefully at her which earned him a hard look from the orange-haired scowling protector of the princess.

Luckily for Renji, he did not notice it. "She's just... creepy." He finished his grievances about his temporary abode.

"So, what you are trying to say is whether any one of us will be willing to put you up, temporary, of course. Correct?" Ishida surmised it for him perfectly.

"Yea." Renji answered almost embarrassingly. He turned to Ichigo, "I was hoping that someone could be you. So can I stay with you while I'm in Karakura. Eh, Ichigo?" Renji tried his utmost to be as buddy-buddy with him.

"No." Ichigo deadpanned.

"What!? Why not? You let Rukia stay in your room." Renji reminded him.

"She's different," Ichigo started to explain, but then he felt the smaller hand in his own bigger one trying to free itself with soft barely-there movement. He looked at his auburn-haired friend whose head was still facing the ground.

"Why's she different?" Renji asked with a frosty tone in his voice. Now it was his turn to fall under the sway of the green-eyed monster.

The gentle healer's small hand was now really trying to escape from his clasp but he just continued to grasp onto hers more tightly.

"That violent midget is such a pygmy that half the time I did not even know of her existence as she could fit into the closet just friggin' fine."

The struggling hand stopped moving when he made his explanation, only to start again when Ishida has to open his mouth.

"So what you are saying is that the other half of the time, she's sleeping on your bed with you."

"WHAT THE HELL! OF COURSE NOT! Stop putting damn words into my mouth! I'm very particular about who could even sit on my bed." He was not letting the struggling hand to escape even as he fixed Ishida with a hostile glare.

Ishida glared back and taunted, "But you let Inoue-san sat on your bed, right Sado-kun?" And the silent giant gave his trademark thumbs up gesture.

_'Traitor._' Ichigo thought bitterly of his best friend.

And he did not have to look at Orihime's face to know she was as red as his name.

"Well, Kurosaki?" Ishida persisted in his question.

"Well what, Ishida?"

"Why do you let Inoue-san sit on your bed?" Internally, Ishida offered an apology to the fidgeting girl. He consoled himself by thinking he was doing it for her and Kurosaki's sake.

Ichigo rubbed and scratched the back of his head furiously. Oh, how he hated his so-called cousin.

"She is different."

"But didn't you say that about Rukia as well. Is there a difference between the two 'different'?" Renji asked in puzzlement and nodded at his own intelligence over the 'differences'.

"Why the damn hell are we so fixated on my bed?" Ichigo was trying to avoid answering the question.

"We're not. We are talking about the difference between the two 'different'." Renji repeated his cleverness, seeing how nobody has noticed it the first time.

Ishida gave a smug nod and that really annoyed Ichigo.

He exploded. "GODDAMNIT!" And the gentle healer besides him flinched at his angry exclamation. She lifted her head slightly to peek at him from under her eyelashes and through her thick hair.

Not realizing he has once again squeezed Orihime's small hand a little too tightly, he began to bellow out what they wanted to hear.

"You want to know about the two 'different'."

He glared fiercely at the two 'interrogators'.

"Well, I will tell you now."

(恋姬)

_(Well, there you have it. My first update during the world cup. Is it of my usual standard? What is my standard anyway? That's for you, dear readers to enlighten me. Should I stop updating during the world cup? Was this update bad enough to be deleted and I have to do it all over again. Do tell.)_

_(Thanx for reading.)_

(恋姬)


	4. Chapter 4

_(So, I guess my usual standard was up to standard? as usual? I will be updating in between shouting at the players, screaming abuses at the referee and his 'henchmen', holding my head in disbelief and whatever is normal behavior for a football fanatic. Be prepared for mistakes. But at least, I am updating. :) )_

_(Thanks, especially to : **aiko1991, absolutefaith, silvertwilightgemini, Annabelle4.0, Anonymous Starbucks Lover, LS77, naleah, 12cathy, NaruHinaFanboy, Cries of the Damned, Ddh2989, SakurA-VioletA, Vanesabebe1, BabeBee, sweet-penelope, Ermilus, himelove22, Ichihime94, yoona-unnie, SweetnSour715, Pablo Hirunata, finnythewise, Otepbunni, broman2, Tally Ho Mofos, Mihh, neoqueen, KazumaKaname, nypsy, Renji4eva, meteoric war, and all the guest reviewers.)**_

(恋情)

He was holding her hand too tight.

Orihime felt the pain of her hand being squeezed so strongly by Kurosaki-kun but she dared not utter a single word and so she just endured the numbness settling in her fingers... and listened quietly.

"When I first said that Rukia was different was the difference between you and her," Ichigo glared at Renji. " That's to say, I have younger sisters at home and I was only thinking of their wellbeing and privacy. I certainly don't want any pervert accidentally taking a peep at my sisters, do I?" Once again, Ichigo glared at Renji as his reasons were known.

Before Renji could sputter out the defense of his character, Ichigo continued with the 'differences'. "And you know the presumptuous midget, she does what she wants. No matter how many times I have ordered her to stay away from my bed, she will still sit on it when she felt like it."

Ichigo glanced at Orihime to see how she was reacting to what she was hearing, he caught sight of a pair of shining eyes peeping through her equally shiny hair.

He bet they will shine even more brighter after hearing what he was going to say next. He continued to gaze at her as he went on.

"Inoue is different. She can sit on my bed because I wanted her to. In fact, if I can do it and whatever Inoue asks of me, it will be done. Understood?"

Still keeping his eyes fixed firmly on Orihime, he directed the one word question to Ishida and Renji.

Not realizing that Ichigo did not mean for her to answer his question, Orihime lifted her head and shyly looked at him, "Kurosaki-kun, I understand and... thank you."

And she smiled.

His world stopped moving.

"Inoue,"

"Oi. Does that mean I won't be staying with you, Ichigo?" And Renji has to open his big mouth again at the worse possible moment... again.

Ichigo could feel his smoldering rage slowly consuming him and ready to erupt, spewing forth his angry frustration at the idiot who has once again interrupted him. He could not help but feel that his unfounded suspicions was not so groundless after all.

The urge to remove the obstacle permanently with the intent to kill crossed his mind in a split second of murderous madness.

Sensing a dangerous aura coming from Ichigo, Ishida shook his head. He wondered if Renji liked to live dangerously and if he has a death wish hanging over his dim-witted head.

"What do you think, Abarai-kun? And Kurosaki, you might want to loosen your grip on Inoue-san. I am sure you are cutting the circulation to her fingers."

At this suggestion, Ichigo turned his murderous glare from Renji to look at Orihime's hand and Ishida was right. The auburn-haired princess's milky white hand was that not fair anymore.

"Sh...," He glanced at the angelic face gazing at him, "Sheesh. Sorry Inoue." He switched from carrying the school bags in his hand to clasping them between his arm and body. He started to rub her small hand furiously with both of his larger ones.

Orihime's face was warming up even though it was her hand that was getting all the attention. Her face broke out in a small serene smile when she thought of what Kurosaki-kun was doing and what he did not say.

"Inoue, is your..." For a moment, Ichigo was stunned by the beatific expression on her beautiful face.

He stopped rubbing her hand and stared at it. He wondered if this will be the same hand that he will be putting a ring on one of the finger. He knew he was thinking far too ahead of the future but they have been through a lot for somebody of their age and death was always knocking on their doors.

He started to rub her hands again, with not so much urgency as before. It was almost like a gentle caress befitting a gentle healer.

"Inoue," He began softly and looked right at her, "Why are you smiling?"

The smile widened, Orihime felt so happy that she hoped she will not stutter her answer. "You do not need to refrain from using those words that you want to say in front of me. I appreciated what you are doing but really, I do not mind a few vulgar words now and then." She nodded earnestly to prove her heartfelt point.

Her face continued to blush as Ichigo stared really intensely at her. He has completed stopped with the rubbing and once again, laced his hand with hers, "You don't mind, but will you say them?" Her eyes widened, her mouth started to say something inaudible, her face started to heat up and then she shook her head. "I thought so." Ichigo mumbled.

He cherished her innocence. He wanted to protect it and... her.

"And that goes for the rest of you as well. No swearing in front of Inoue. Do I make myself clear." Ichigo glared commandingly at the rest of them but mostly at the red-haired irritating interloper.

"Speak for yourself, Kurosaki. I do not swear." Straight and narrow Ishida answered stiffly.

Sado nodded with all serious intent of following what was ordered.

And the biggest culprit of them all grinned and asked, "If I agree, could I stay with you?"

Ichigo gave him the dirtiest look possible, "No. I have my sisters to think about and you better watch your filthy mouth around Inoue."

"But I am not a pervert." Renji protested.

Ichigo has to think about it. "I don't want to take the risk. You have better ask somebody else. Somebody who lives alone, someone like..." And Ichigo cocked his head in the direction of his cousin.

"So, what do you say, Ishida? Can I put up with you?"

"No."

"Why the f..." Somebody made a threatening growl-like sound and Renji corrected himself. "Why the 'fuchi' not?" He demanded of Ishida.

Ishida slided his glasses up his nose, "Because my 'foolish' one, there is a reason why I live alone. I chose to do it because I like the solitude. So, no to your request."

"Four-eyed weirdo hermit." Renji muttered beneath his breath. Then he remembered another one who lives alone. "How about you, Sado. What about you and I, man to man, catching up on old times as I dwell in your abode, temporary, of course." He grinned hopefully at the kind giant.

Sado just looked at him and looked.

And looked.

Finally, even Ichigo could not stand the suspense, "Chad?"

Sado seemed to rouse himself from whatever he was contemplating and answered in a low voice. "Normally, it would be fine."

Renji grinned in relief.

"But,"

And the happy expression disappeared.

"I have only recently rescued a stray bi..." The tanned giant glanced at Orihime and her protector. "A female dog."

This earned him a tinkling giggling which was extremely delightful to the ears and all the macho males have to suppress the returning grins from appearing on their manly faces.

"Sado-kun, you were saying about a female dog? Is she fine? What kind of breed is she? Where did you find her?" Orihime rambled on with her questioning and looked at Sado with curiosity brightening her eyes.

"Yeah, Sado what does a bit... dog has to do with me lodging with you?" Renji was not avoiding saying his colorful words because Ichigo has warned them not to. He was doing it for the pure princess.

Sado has to look away from the sparkling cuteness that was an excited Orihime.

"She has just given birth to a litter of puppies." He answered in a monotone voice.

"And?" Renji asked impatiently.

"I don't want to stress the mother or the puppies with a stranger in their midst."

"I get it. You're choosing a dog over a friend who has fought by your side, countless times." Renji looked bummed out. He was a stray dog too, one without friends.

"Right. I guess you are struck with geta-boushi. We should get going. Let's go, Inoue." Ichigo tried to lead Orihime away.

But the owner of the hand which was joined in his was not moving.

He turned to look at her. She was... she was staring at Renji! Why in the hell would she be staring at that red-hair baboon!

"Inoue, is anything wrong?" Ichigo asked her worryingly.

She continued to look at Renji. She appeared to be thinking about something. "Inoue..."

"Abarai-kun, you can stay with me."

**"WHAT!?**" The males excluding Sado shouted. Sado shook his head. He wondered if the loud shout has damaged his hearing.

"Are you sure, Inoue? You really are a life saver." Renji would have grabbed her free hand in gratitude and shook it if not for the one still holding on to her other hand.

She nodded. "You will have to sleep on the couch though." She offered shyly.

"I don't mind as long as you're sure about me staying at your apartment."

"No! She is not sure." Ichigo glared at Renji. "Inoue, didn't you hear what I said about my sisters?"

"Oi! Don't insult my character!"

"Abarai-kun is right, Kurosaki-kun. He is not a pervert. I think. Although I am a little disappointed that he did not think of me as a friend enough to ask for the favor. Besides, I have Toshiro-kun and Rangiku-san stayed with me before." Orihime pouted and a hurt expression was shown on her face.

Of all the things to be hurt by...

Ichigo almost shouted at the princess in desperation. "Toshiro is a boy and Rangiku-san is of the same sex as you. But him," He pointed at Renji, "He's a man!"

"Glad you noticed. But liked I said, and how many times must I repeat it, I am not a pervert. Do you trust me, Inoue?" The innocent princess smiled and nodded. Renji grinned back at her. "See. And don't worry about me not paying my dues. I will not be sponging on you. You are a really friend, Inoue. Sorry if you felt disappointed that I did not ask you but Ichigo was right about me being a man and I thought it would be inconvenient for me to ask you of that. You might think I would have some kind of ulterior motive." He explained sheepishly.

"And you still might!" Ichigo released Orihime's hand and softly pushed her towards Ishida, "Try to talk some sense into her as I have a little 'talk' with Renji." He asked of his cousin.

Putting his arm around Renji's shoulder, his hand which has been so gentle with Orihime, clasped itself firmly around Renji's neck as he led them a distance from the others.

"My neck, Ichigo." Renji was sure there will be indentations due to the tight grip he felt.

Ichigo gave him a warning looking before he threatened Renji with worrying about something else besides his neck.

"Look, Inoue is a good friend of ours," Renji cocked an eyebrow and countered, "Just a friend, eh?"

The grip around the neck tightened, Ichigo rubbed the back of his head unconsciously and out of habit, "She's a very good friend of ours... mine and I do not want to see her hurt in any way." He glared at Renji, "If you do anything to cause her distress or if you even dare to lay a single finger on her, you would not want to know what I will do to you."

Renji gulped, he did not like the look in Ichigo's eyes. It reminded him of Zaraki-taichou.

(恋姬)

"I wonder what Kurosaki-kun is talking about with Abarai-kun." Orihime asked of Ishida and Sado as she looked at Ichigo.

She held her two hands together. She missed his rough hand.

"Inoue-san, are you sure about letting Abarai-kun freeloading at your place?" Ishida asked in concern.

Orihime turned her misty-eyed gaze from Ichigo. "Of course I am sure, Ishida-kun. Is there anything wrong?"

Ishida looked at the naiveté reflecting off the gentle healer's face and he wondered how was he going to tactfully explained to her.

"Well, there is nothing wrong with helping a friend but Abarai-kun is a man and though I doubt he would dare to try anything funny with you. Kuro... we are still worried. A man and a woman alone, together. Who's knows what might happen?"

Orihime tilted her head slightly to the side and stated confusingly, "But I am not a woman, nor do I think I am still a girl." She noticed the surprised faces and she thought back as to what she has said.

Eyes widening and face flushing, her hands started to flutter like a hummingbird's wings, "I-I m-meant I am still a g-girl, just not a little girl anymore." She stammered embarrassingly.

"It's alright, Inoue-san. We understand. It's just that Kuro... we are just concerned about you." Ishida glanced at the orange-haired cousin of his.

Orihime giggled softly as apprehension slowly dawned on the third-ranked student.

"I understand, Ishida-kun. I know what you trying to say. But for something to happen, the woman or... girl would need to have some kind of affection for the man and the man must have the same feelings for the woman. Am I correct?"

The bespectacled Quincy stared at the personification of innocence which in turn was gazing back at him with wide-eyed curiosity.

This was what Kurosaki was trying to protect.

And now he might just have to warn her about the reality of the evils in men.

How he hated his orange-haired scowling cousin now.

"Ishida-kun?" The princess of purity looked at him with concern.

"Inoue-san, there is something you should know about men and their..." The top-ranked student paused, he considered carefully what he should say and how he really, really absolutely hated a certain relative of his now.

He readied himself, "Inoue-san, a man does not need to feel anything for a woman to want to do 'that' with her." He saw that she was nodding her head to his every word and then he witnessed the slow realization of what 'that' meant.

She looked away from him in a hurry.

Ishida wondered what she was thinking about.

Orihime stole a glance at Ichigo.

"Ishida-kun," She began softly, "Do you think Kurosaki-kun has done 'that' yet?" She asked Ishida in all seriousness.

"WHAT!?" He shook his head at Ichigo and Renji who was looking his way due to the very undignified exclamation.

Orihime gave them a little reassuring wave as well. She did not want them to come over just yet. She wanted to know.

Seeing Ichigo and Renji returning to their conversation, Orihime turned back to Ishida. What she saw on Ishida-kun's face, she knew she will not get her answer.

She bowed to him, "I-I a-am so s-sorry, I-Ishida-kun. I did not mean to make you so uncomfortable by asking you of that." She apologized sincerely.

Before Ishida can assure the contrite healer that there was no offence taken on his part, Orihime was already continuing on with her reasoning as to why they should not be so worried with Abarai-kun staying with her.

She moved closer and spoke in a secretive hushed tone, "Ishida-kun, Sado-kun," She stole a quick glance at Ichigo and Renji before continuing, "You do not have to worry about Abarai-kun, he will not interested in me." Orihime said in all confidence.

Blissfully unaware of the doubtful expressions on her friends' faces, Orihime carried on with her explanation, "And do you know why Abarai-kun will never be interested in me," She grinned knowingly,

"My emerging womanly intuition tells me that Abarai-kun is in love with..." Both Ishida and Sado was prepared for the person to be named, but...

"Kuchiki-taichou." She revealed unexpectedly.

Ishida tried, he really tried. But once again, a loud exclamation of shock escaped from him. Even the expressionless giant friend of theirs looked flabbergasted for a second and then a blank expression was back on his face.

"Inoue-san," Ishida started to say when the capacity to speak returned to him, he wanted to know the logic behind the imaginative princess assumption.

But alas, the scowling orange-haired protector was already walking back towards them.

Then Ichigo was right in front of Ishida, his protective mode activated and confronting Ishida.

"Oi, what was with the shout? Why's Inoue bowing to you? Are you forcing her to apologize to you or something?" He accused the Quincy.

Ishida did not even bother to spare him a glance, instead he turned to Orihime, adjusted his spectacles and, "Inoue-san, you have to explain to me your theory some other day, all right?"

Orihime nodded and Ichigo seethed with surging rage at being ignored and his princess sharing a conspiratorial moment with the Quincy.

"I am talking to you, Ishida." He told Ishida with malevolent hostility dripping from his every word.

And the gentle healer stepped in.

"Kurosaki-kun, have you finished your talk with Abarai-kun?" She asked and gave him a little warm smile.

The smile smoothed his raging fury and he was disarmed by a little facial gesture of hers.

He stared at her contemplatively for awhile before answering,

"Yeah. We are done."

Orihime beamed at Ichigo and then she held out both her hands, "Shall we go?"

Without hesitation, Ichigo took one of the small hands and gently laced his fingers with hers.

He smirked amusingly as the shy princess though bold in her action was still bashful about her newly courageous behavior. Her smiling face was made even more beautiful with the blush adoring her flushed cheeks.

He wondered why she held out both of her hands.

"Abarai-kun?" She waved her other hand at him.

And Ichigo got his answer. He glared obsessively at the 'rival'. He dared him to hold the princess's hand.

Renji was really tempted to grab the alluring body part offered to him, he glanced at Ichigo. Ichigo directed his sight to the hand clutching the straps of the school bags, he lifted one finger up and then slowly, agonizingly slow, he bent it all the way down.

Renji moved his legs closer to each other and he assumed the position of a footballer protecting the goalkeeper and the goal during a free kick.

"Abarai-kun?" Orihime asked again and her small innocent gesture was making him confused.

"It's alright, Inoue. I'm still in my shinigami form and it will be weird if somebody would see your hand holding on to something that's not there."

_'Not to mention a... beautiful girl between two guys._' Renji thought wearily.

"Maybe, next time. We could be like school children on a excursion." The innocent princess spoke in a childlike manner.

"Yea, next time."

"Come on, Inoue."

"See you in school tomorrow, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun." Orihime said goodbye to her friends.

"Goodbye Inoue-san. And Abarai-kun, whatever Kurosaki 'talked' to you about, Sado-kun and I are completely supportive of his actions, right Sado-kun?" Ishida tactfully warned Renji before turning to Sado for his agreement.

Sado gave his usual thumbs-up before... turning it into a... thumbs-down!

Ichigo, Ishida and Sado shared a look which left Orihime bewildered and Renji petrified when Ishida gave him a last glance before adjusting his glasses, the sun's setting ray reflected off his lenses, making it seemed like an... arrow!

Renji swallowed the rock lodged in his throat.

The three boys nodded at each other and then Ishida and Sado walked off.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo gave what could be a special smile and tightening his grip on her hand, he started to walk her home.

Renji stared at the young couple talking animatedly, or rather Orihime was waving her free hand, the hand he could be holding now, and giving Ichigo a lively account of something that happened to her. Ichigo was giving her his full undivided attention. His gaze locked firmly on her blushing face.

_'They looked like a couple in love._' Renji thought enviously. He wished he was with a certain violent short shinigami childhood friend of his.

He also thought back to the threats and warnings regarding him and Inoue. Should he just sucked it up and continued to stay at the sadistic store keeper and his fellow torturers to avoid any misunderstanding concerning the auburn-haired weaver princess. He certainly did not want to know what the orange-haired cow herder prince of hers would do to him because of any misread interpretation.

"Abarai-kun." The princess's concerned voice broke through his worries, he looked wishfully at her and a little unhappily at the one besides her.

"Come on, you idiot." Ichigo said impatiently.

Orihime gave him a small encouraging smile.

He grinned sheepishly and started to walk behind the young couple.

_'Nah. Everything will be fine. Nothing will happen between the gentle healer and him. She's Ichigo's friend. A very good friend of his. And besides, **He's just not that into her.'**_

(恋情)


	5. Chapter 5

_(Apologies for the last hiccup. Also for disappointing **BabeBee** and **nypsy**. I am currently part of the 'Umbrella Revolution'. No. I am not a Hongkonger nor am I 'Made in China'. No surprises. My parents are worried sick and they want me home ASAP. I do not want to sound frivolous, but this is quite an experience and luckily, I know Cantonese and Mandarin. So, depending on everything, this might be my last update for awhile. Wish me luck, dear readers. Hopefully, everything will end as what this demonstration is all about and I will make it through without too much blood, sweat and tears.)_

(恋情)

Kurosaki Ichigo glanced fondly at the soft hand being enveloped in his own large hand.

Who knew such a small hand would have so much to give and... could hold so much in its tiny palm?

He grinned as how she was swinging their connected hands in such a childlike innocent way.

This just seemed so much like... her.

And how much he was affected by her innocence.

Slowly, his eyes traveled from their interwined hands to her face,

What the hell?!

Why was she looking at the tattooed baboon!

He was not feeling jealous.

He was annoyed.

That was what he was feeling.

No, not jealousy.

Definitely, he was not jealous of the red-haired shinigami.

He was not feeling inferior to that tattooed freak, all because the one holding his hand was caught looking at him.

No.

Then, why did he want to scoop the princess up in his arms and ran to get as far away as they could from the 'tenant' as possible.

There she went again.

Why did she just sneak another look at that... that 'dead' person?

He could not stand it anymore.

He must know as to why she would want to peek at him.

And...

He was not jealous.

He. Was. Not.

"Inoue?" Ichigo called out her name to get her attention and tugged lightly at their laced hands.

Inoue Orihime turned from yet another sneak peep at her soon to be new roommate to look at her crush.

She turned a paler shade of pink when she noticed Ichigo scowling in the cute way she loved at her.

"Yes, Kurosaki-kun?" She asked sweetly.

Ichigo wondered how was he going to broach the subject to her without sounding like a jealous, over-possessive, insecure boyfriend.

He felt his eyes getting bigger as the last word hit him just about everywhere.

His fast-beating heart wanted to leap out of his very dry throat.

He could not speak.

He stared at the blushing princess.

He stared at her, really intensely.

He certainly would not mind being her boyfriend, but would she want to be his girlfriend.

His heart plummeted to his feet at that depressing thought.

She was Inoue Orihime and he was Kurosaki Ichigo.

She was a princess liked by all.

Whereas he was just a punk, a delinquent with bright orange hair, someone who could not be good enough for a 'star' like her.

Why would she want to be with someone like him?

A pure soul and one with countless interior demons to vanquish.

His rugged rough hand tightened its grip on the small soft hand as the unimaginable painful thought of losing her even before they have a chance to find out if they could be soul mates frightened him to his very being.

And...

Finally, he has to admit it.

He was jealous.

He was jealous of not just his 'battle buddy', but whoever the gentle healer will eventually lavish her love upon.

Could this be...

Love.

He made up his mind.

He has to tell her.

She must know.

"Inoue,"

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun,"

"Oi! Are we there yet?" Abarai Renji chose the worse possible moment to ask the young couple one of the most irritating question of all time.

He gotten for himself a murderous glare from the would be boyfriend of the gentle healer and a resigned look from the princess.

"We are almost there, Abarai-kun." She told him patiently.

Renji nodded and walked farther behind from the smouldering bomb masquerading as the orange-haired scowling hybrid.

Orihime wondered what was it that Ichigo wanted to ask of her.

She tugged gently of the larger hand dwarfing her own petite one to get his attention.

"Kurosaki-kun, do you want something from me?" She asked him shyly.

_'Yeah, your heart, body and soul. Your everything. But most of all, your love.'_ That was what he wanted to say as he gazed upon the gentle healer glancing at him with an angelic blushing face.

But... there was an irritating interloper within their midst and so, he just shook his head and told her, "I will tell you some other time, Inoue. Was there something you want to ask of me?"

Orihime smiled conspiring at him and to his irritation, she stole another peek at that person.

"Kurosaki-kun, do you believe in love can conquer everything?" She asked in a hushed tone.

_'Not if it involved a certain princess and a red-haired tattooed death god. Then the hell, no.'_ His mind answered truthfully but instead he answered, "It depends."

Orihime nodded and then she moved closer to Ichigo.

"Before I tell you the reason as to why I asked you that, you must promise to not exclaim in shock like what Ishida-kun did and you must not say anything outloud as well. Do we have a deal, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I will try, Inoue. But I am not promising anything. Just tell me."

Orihime looked to be in half a mind as to not tell him, but who was she kidding. She could never deny Kurosaki-kun of anything.

She took yet another look at the red-haired shinigami before pronouncing to Ichigo in a secretive soft voice that, "I think Abarai-kun is in love with Kuchiki-taichou."

And like Ishida Uryuu before him, Kurosaki Ichigo gave out a shout of, "WHAT?!"

But unlike Ishida, Ichigo let it ripped with his loud laughter.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun, you promised."

Ichigo could not stop the sniggering at Renji's expense from escaping from his mouth even as he was being chastised by a pouting princess.

He wiped the tears off his face.

It was that funny.

"I said I will try, Inoue. I am glad I did not promise because it was hilarious. Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I-I am not telling till you wiped the grin off your face." Orihime pouted and tried to give Ichigo a stern glare.

"Ah, come on Inoue. Do tell." He pleaded and swung their joined hands to and forth.

Orihime tried to maintain a fierce look but one glance at Ichigo appealing face and she could not stop the corresponding grin from appearing on her blushing face.

And as they both turned unwittingly at the same time to look at Renji, Ichigo let out another round of boisterous chuckling.

"K-Kurosaki-kun!"

The sound of merriment caused the red-haired tattooed shinigami to wonder if they were laughing at him. No, Ichigo was the only one laughing like an idiot. The polite princess was trying unsuccessfully to quiet her classmate. She looked embarrassed.

Renji has a smile on his face as he pondered on the differences between the hands holding couple. How could something so wrong seemed so right together. Sort of like him and a certain short violent shinigami.

How he missed her.

And he wondered wishfully if somehow she was missing him as well.

He wondered if ever he would get to hold her hand as Ichigo was doing with the auburn-haired healer.

His eyes wandered to the two hands joined together, but, unexpectedly he was distracted by the hips swinging princess. Renji has always known she was impressive upfront, he just did not notice or dare not to notice that her back was as magnificent as well.

_'That Ichigo sure is a lucky son of a gun.'_ Renji thought as his eyes continued to be bewitch by the hypnotically swaying of the twin firm pair of fine a...

Suddenly he felt an icy shiver running up his spine, he looked up, slowly, to catch the deadly daggers being thrown at him.

Sharp brown eyes were glaring threatening at him.

Surely, Ichigo can't tell what he was doing, right?

He didn't have the power to read minds, right?

But who can tell with a hybrid, an oddity, a force of nature like him.

And she was just there, to be admired. It was not a crime to appreciate what obviously was a exquisite piece of a... Sorry. Art.

He grinned sheepishly at Ichigo.

Ichigo, in return, glared hostility back at him before tugging the princess closer to him.

He started to talk rather earnestly to an attentive healer.

Renji really wondered what was being said.

Was he warning the innocent princess about him?

Renji grinned at the scowling protector's possessiveness over the pretty princess.

"Inoue," Ichigo began and then he stopped whatever he was going to say when the blushing princess reached up and gently touched him on his face.

Renji's eyes widened, was she making a move on the dense idiot. He wished he was near enough to hear their conversation.

Ichigo stood very still as he felt the soft fingers caressing his rapidly warming cheek.

What was she doing?

Every tiny touch of her delicate digits caused the skin being teased to tingle, deliciously.

He stared at the girl in full concentration of what she was doing.

She was so close to him.

He wondered if she would mind if he were to kiss her.

He leaned down, slowly towards her, his eyes never leaving her alluring, awaiting luscious lips,

"Inoue,"

"There, all done." Orihime seemed oddly to be proud of herself. She looked at Ichigo who was nearer to her than she has thought. She noticed he looked kind of... Disappointed.

"Kurosaki-kun, is anything the matter?" She asked nervously. He was not answering her.

Could it be he was unhappy with her for touching him without his consent?

She bowed quickly. "I am so sorry, Kurosaki-kun. There was something on your face and I was just removing it for you. Please do not be offended by me touching you without asking you first." Orihime explained, apologetically and kept her head down.

She really hoped he was not angry with her.

The big rough hand holding her small soft hand captive gave it a tiny squeeze.

"Inoue, you can never cause me any displeasure."

At this, the blushing princess looked up and Ichigo gave her a little wicked smile before continuing, "At least, not intentionally."

Orihime's eyes widened.

Her heart started to beat furiously.

Her mind wanted to remember.

When did she ever accidentally done something to make Kurosaki-kun upset?

She wanted to know.

So she will never do it, again.

"Kurosaki-kun,"

(恋に落ちる)

(_Oh yeah, what is the one story you most want me to update when I start updating again after I have reached home... safely._ ;-) )


	6. Chapter 6

(恋情)

Kurosaki Ichigo's attention was fully on the beautiful blushing girl who was looking kind of worried at him.

Was she worried for him or is she in some kind of pain?

At this thought, Ichigo's felt his heart being squeezed uncomfortably, and once again, forgetting his own strength, he in turn squeezed the gentle healer's dainty hand a little too tightly.

"Inoue, what's wrong?" He asked anxiously. Then noticing the slight grimace on her pretty face, his anxiety grew, "Are you in some kind of pain? Tell me." He did not want to see her in any kind of pain.

Inoue Orihime blushed at Ichigo's obvious concern for her. She smiled sweetly at him to quell his unease and tugged at their intertwined hands. Softly, her whispered words reached his ears.

He glanced at their joined hands.

"Sorry." He loosened his strong grip.

One of his finger made tiny apologetic circles on her hand.

She blushed, smiled sweetly at him and he willed himself to not grin like a happy idiot.

This was his first time in holding a girl's hand and he kept making the same mistake, over and over again of cutting the circulation to the fingers.

He just did not realize how her hand was so soft and delicate.

Were all girls' hands like hers?

But he guess he will never know for he has absolutely no desire to hold another girl's hand.

Only hers.

And hers only.

Now and forever.

"Inoue,"

"Kurosaki-kun,"

"Oi! Is that it?"

Ichigo turned his loving gaze from the blushing beauty to glare at the red-haired tattooed freak.

"What?!"

Abarai Renji shrugged off the hostile glare and pointed to the building in front of them.

The young couple smiled at each other when they realized they have stopped, unthinkingly right at the princess's apartment.

"Shall we?"

Orihime nodded.

Ichigo turned to Renji. "Come on, you freeloader. It's the third floor."

Renji's tattooed eyebrows shot up. He made them wiggled.

The innocent princess stared in fascination.

"Abarai-kun, can I touch your facial tattoos?" Orihime asked innocently and her fair hand moved towards his face.

"What?! No! You do not want to contaminate your fingers by touching that foul face."

"Hey! Stop insulting me!" Renji shouted at Ichigo before moving his face close to Orihime. He grinned cheekily, albeit with a slight changing of color on his cheeks, "Besides I don't mind you touching me, Inoue."

Orihime nodded happily and then once again, her hand moved gingerly to the subject of her attraction.

Without another word, the possessive protector yanked his pretty princess from the smirking shinigami. He ignored the startled gasp from her. He led her to the staircase. Still remaining silent, Ichigo started to walk up the stairs with his hand firmly holding on to Orihime.

He knew without looking back; she will follow him.

The puzzled princess let herself be pulled along by Ichigo. Kurosaki-kun seemed angry. Why was he so angry? Who was he angry with?

Renji grinned and he decided to let the young couple sort out their unique situation before he made like a sloth and sluggishly followed them.

Orihime waited till she was at her apartment door before she said anything.

"Kurosaki-kun,"

Ichigo released her hand abruptly and shoved her school bag at her.

Orihime held on to her school bag tightly against her chest.

She glanced timidly at Ichigo.

His expression unreadable by her. He stared at her before turning and started to walk away from her.

He was leaving her!

Orihime's small hand reached out to stop Ichigo from walking away from her in anger.

Her small shaking hand barely encircled his large strong wrist.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun, are you upset with m-me? Please don't be angry with me. Kurosaki-kun?"

"No Inoue. I am not angry with you. I am... I'm... urgh!" Ichigo rubbed the back of his head in frustration.

He looked at the flustered girl with her eyes welling up.

"Don't cry, Inoue." He wiped the tears that escaped from her sparkling eyes with his free hand.

"B-But y-you are angry with m-me." She sniffled.

"I am not. But why did you want to touch Renji?" Ichigo got straight to the point of his discontent.

"Are you upset with me over that? I was only curious about his tattoos. Why are you angry with me touching Abarai-kun?"

Orihime slowly, timidly moved her hand from Ichigo's wrist to lace her fingers with his.

"That's just it, Inoue. How would you feel if I were to hold another girl's hand?"

He tightened his grip.

"Would Kurosaki-kun want to hold another girl's hand?"

"No. There is no one I like... I want to hold my hand with."

Orihime gave the big hand holding her small hand an affectionate squeeze.

"But you are holding my hand." She said shyly.

He gave her a playful grin. "Yea. Go figure." And he returned the hand squeezing gesture.

Orihime thought about it, seriously.

Oh.

"Kurosaki-kun, I have figured it out. In the future, I will not touch another so freely." She promised him.

"And why is that, Inoue?"

"Because it will hurt when I see Kurosaki-kun holding another girl's hand. Does it hurt, for you too, if I hold another's hand even though there is nothing romantic in that action?"

"Yes."

"W-Why, K-Kurosaki-kun?"

Why indeed.

"It's actually very simple, Inoue. I think I..." Ichigo mustered up his courage. "I l..."

"Oi! Why's the door not open yet? Are you having trouble opening the locks, Inoue?" Renji asked impatiently.

Orihime turned her misty-eyed glance from Ichigo, her hand reluctantly left his in order to take out her keys from her school bag. She gave out a soft sigh. "I am just opening it, Abarai-kun."

She concentrated on unlocking her door and tried not to think what Kurosaki-kun was going to say to her.

Ichigo glared deadly daggers at Renji.

"I really, really hate you now." Ichigo snarled at him.

Renji just gave him a forgiving grin and wrapped his arm around Ichigo's shoulder.

"It's alright. I have more than enough love for the two of us." Renji said seriously.

"WHAT?!"

Ichigo jumped away from Renji as fast as he can. He glared at him. Renji winked at him and Ichigo shuddered to the point of almost throwing up.

Orihime dropped her keys to the floor, but luckily she has managed to open the door.

She looked at Renji sadly.

"Abarai-kun, you cannot love Kurosaki-kun."

Renji cocked his special eyebrows and Orihime was almost sidetracked by the squirming lines.

"Why, Inoue, are you afraid of me stealing your 'man'?" Renji fixed his beady brown eyes on her.

The polite princess did not know what she should say. Her bright, sparkling eyes got bigger and her mouth froze to an 'O' shape of confused embarrassment.

Ichigo, when the nauseating shock disappeared knew exactly what to do. He hit the crap spewing red-haired baboon.

"There will be no stealing of anyone, you pedophile! And there will never, ever be anything between us! Wait, there will definitely never be any us!" The orange-haired scowling one grimaced in disgust.

"But Ichigo, don't you believe in love can conquer everything?" Strong, cocky Renji looked hopefully at Ichigo.

_'Mmn, that sounds familiar.'_ Orihime thought. She decided to speak up when the capacity to use her mouth returned.

"That's right, Abarai-kun. Kurosaki-kun will not be stolen by you. Besides, you love Kuchiki-t..." Orihime's small hands made it in time to cover her mouth from uttering the next word. When the time is right, the couple would announce to everybody of their love for each other. She has no right to blurt it out before they do.

The big teasing grin from Renji's face vanished instantly at the mention of that name. "So... It's that obvious." He asked Orihime.

Hands still covering her mouth, Orihime nodded.

He gave her a little self-conscious smile before turning to Ichigo, "Did you know?"

Ichigo could not stopped the wicked grin from appearing on his 'payback time' face.

"Hell yeah! Everybody knew about you and the snooty Kuchiki B..."

"Kurosaki-kun!"

The gentle healer shouted in alarm and her small hand flown in lightning speed to cover the hybrid's big mouth.

Both of their eyes widen at her spontaneous act.

Her hand, still warm from touching her own lips felt even hotter on his silenced mouth.

The heat caused the young couple's faces to have the same corresponding color as Renji's crimson red hair.

"It's alright, Inoue. I don't mind you two knowing about it. You don't have to stop him from saying it." Renji, not realizing the emotional rollercoaster his young friends were experiencing told them melancholily.

Inoue Orihime wanted to reach out and tell Renji that it was alright to love; to follow your heart, but she did not want to risk Ichigo laughing at Renji and so using her free hand, she started to pull Ichigo into her apartment whether he has wanted to come in or not.

And bigger and stronger Kurosaki Ichigo with her soft hand still on his mouth just let himself be pulled willingly, into her home.

Abarai Renji smiled wishfully as he watched the loving antics of the two lovebirds. He bent down to pick up the school bags and keys dropped onto the floor in the sudden commotion.

So everybody knows.

Maybe she knows too.

But... Why has she not say anything?

Could it been she does not return the same affection?

No.

At least he hoped not.

Perhaps she's waiting for him to make the first move.

Because no matter, how brash and confident a woman is, she still wants to be woo.

And he just has the perfect person to help him.

He glanced at the helpful princess before closing the apartment door.

(恋姬)


	7. Chapter 7

_(You are going to read this every time there is an update. My stories were deleted, deliberately. When I finally realized my stories were missing and after undeleting them, they were not exactly as they were. But you only need to know this, for those of you who have added this story and all my other stories as either as a favorite or to follow, you need to un-do and then re-do the actions again; that is if you want to. It is just something for me to speculate.)_

_(How come no one told me about the posting of an empty update? It was done while I was not even in the country. Oh... Death-By-Sanity, Saint Sita and a guest apparently did. Extremely long, tedious story short. I guess I was too busy persuading this website to recognize me as the rightful owner of this account. Why didn't you PM me, Saint Sita? I thought we were friends? :'( )_

_(Anyway, I do not like an empty page, promise? So, here is a short update as I have not really completed this chapter yet. The concluding part of this chapter will be posted as fast as my brain and fingers can cooperate with each other as seamlessly as they should. O_O )_

(恋情)

Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime continued to lock eyes with each other. Both of Orihime's small hands were still on various parts' of Ichigo's body. Neither one of them was making the slightest effort to break contact with each other; both mentally and physically.

"Oi! Is this where I will be sleeping on?" Abarai Renji broke the spell his two young friends were reluctantly rescued from with his loud questioning. He dropped their school bags on the worn-out couch as he scrutinized his would-be sleeping arrangement.

The blushing princess removed her small hands from her orange-haired protector. She gave him a small, shy smile. Ichigo returned a somewhat smug smirk

Orihime wondered what was the smirk about? "Kurosaki-kun, why are you..."

"It doesn't look very comfortable, does it?" The red-haired shinigami sort of snorted distastefully before planting his backside on it to test his opinion. He bounced up and down on it. He looked to the other two persons in the room.

His heart too bounced up to his throat before it plummeted down to the pit of his stomach.

All... because of a princess.

And her eyes.

Her orange-haired scowling prince was not looking so happy as well.

Renji swallowed the guilt that was left behind when his heart made the fast nauseating journey from his throat to the stomach. "Inoue, I..."

"I am sorry, Abarai-kun." The auburn-haired princess interrupted him with her apology and bowed gracefully. "I am sorry for the condition of my couch. I was comfortable with it and I thought you will not find it too uncomfortable for your liking." She kept her head down and spoke softly.

Orihime clasped her small hands together. "You can have my futon if you like, Abarai-kun." Her soft voice suggested generously.

"No! Definitely not!" Ichigo sprung into action. He grabbed the two tiny, soft hands and enveloped them in his big, coarse hands.

The startled princess gasped out in surprise. She lifted her head slowly as she did not want to risk hitting her protector with her seemingly hard head.

Her honey brown eyes encountered an angry, handsome face which was scowling at their red-haired friend before sensing her curious gaze on him; his features softened and he turned to look at her. Caring chocolate eyes shone warmly at her. Orihime blushed shyly. She could never get use to Kurosaki-kun's absolute full attention on her.

She felt...

She felt so... loved.

Loved by her scowling prince.

She gazed dreamily back at him.

One gentle, tender look from the auburn-haired princess and all cognitive thoughts flown from the scowling protector's mind.

Oh, how he wanted to gaze upon the lovely face in front of him for as long as he can with no interruption from anybody, especially from the...

"Inoue, I did not mean..." Renji started to say, but this time Ichigo intercepted whatever sincere apology he was going to make.

"Inoue, that tattooed freeloader was just kidding with you. He is more than satisfied with his sleeping arrangement. In fact, he is so grateful for his free lodging that you have so generously offered to him, he is buying us dinner as a thank you treat to you, right Renji?" Ichigo asked friendily but it was more of an order to Renji.

Even before Renji could open his mouth to say anything, the excited princess blurted out, "A-Are y-you staying for d-dinner, K-Kurosaki-kun?" Realizing what she has asked, the gentle healer wanted to cover her impulsive mouth in embarrassment.

She has forgotten her two small hands were still being cuddled by Kurosaki-kun's bigger hands.

And those bigger hands were currently giving her hands a little reassuring squeeze.

Her face still burning due to her spontaneous questioning of what her heart wanted to know, she glanced timidly at the one holding her hands.

Ichigo gave her a little boyish grin to hide his own nervousness of inviting himself for dinner.

Another squeeze.

"Do you mind if I stay for dinner, Inoue?" He asked softly.

And his answer was another almost loud, "No!" Both teenagers' eyes widened at the shout of agreement.

Orihime lowered her head in a hurry and her shimmering hair formed a protective, glittering curtain around her reddening face.

"Inoue?" His concerned voice caused her already fast beating heart to gain velocity and sped all the way to her trembling throat. She swallowed to make her stammering words come out as a coherent explanation for her quick, loud answer.

Orihime raised her head to face Ichigo as she answered. "I-I meant it is fine by me if Kurosaki-kun wants to stay for dinner."

"Yea, thanks Inoue." He almost signed in relief.

Ichigo continued to hold on to her hands and his eyes were doing the same with her eyes.

Her bright eyes looked back shyly at him.

The playful smirk on his handsome face caused her to wonder at what he was going to do.

Slowly, his big, rough hands uncovered themselves from her smaller soft hands. Orihime was a little disappointed at the lost of the warmth, till the larger hands unclenched her still joined hands and... very slowly, they laced themselves extremely gently with her happy hands.

The imaginative princess could almost feel her tingling fingers smiling, welcoming her protector's calloused fingers.

Her beautiful blushing face reflected what her hands were feeling.

Ichigo was starstruck by the dazzling smile.

She was his 'star'.

She was his...

"Oi! Shouldn't you ask the one who has been forced to buy dinner?! And how about a da..." A rather ungenerous but alert for his wellbeing Renji faced the growling hybrid and confused princess. The young couple has forgotten about the third person or in Ichigo's case; the third wheel in the room. He grinned uncomfortably. "How about a show of appreciation?"

"Why should we?" An extremely annoyed at-being-disturbed Ichigo spat out grudgingly.

Damn Renji and his bloody timing.

"Thank you, Abarai-kun." The gracious princess' soft, gentle voice brought a big goofy grin to break out on Renji's face and Ichigo's scowl to deepen, jealously.

"Ichigo, you could learn a bit more manners from your pretty classmate." Renji caused Ichigo's scowling to completely overtake his grimacing face.

_'Pretty?' Who are you calling pretty, you flirtatious freak!'_ Ichigo thought possessively.

Only he can call her pretty and he looked at the said pretty classmate. He noticed their hands were still laced together. He pulled her closer towards him. He did not want her to acknowledge the tattooed idiot's compliment.

He frowned.

Renji should just go and buy dinner.

Unbeknownst to Ichigo, Orihime did not hear a single word from Renji after saying her thank you. Her eyes only has him in focus. She smiled shyly at him.

Ichigo noticed the smile. "Renji, shouldn't you be buying dinner?" Ichigo wanted to be alone with his princess.

The fukutaichou paid attention to the commanding tone in Ichigo's voice and the frightening frown on his face. He guessed it was time to make himself be not here at this very moment. He turned to the polite princess, "Anything you like, Inoue?" That caught her attention. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Just surprise us with your generosity." Ichigo answered for Orihime who shut her ready to response mouth and pouted childishly at Ichigo's assumed answer from her.

What if Abarai-kun should forget her special ingredients? She wondered worryingly.

"Well, I will be going now. I will not be long, even though I need to pick up my belongings from Urahara."

"So, why are you still standing around here for? Someone to hold your hand and walk you to the door? Go."

"No. Wait, Abarai-kun." Orihime called out and broke the hands-holding contact she has with Ichigo.

Ichigo was shocked!

Was she really going to hold the red-haired buffoon's hand?!

Ichigo glared at a smirking Renji.

Renji strutted next to Ichigo.

He shrugged at Ichigo.

If the fair princess wanted to hold his hand, who was he to deny himself of this caring gesture.

His wolfish grin widened as Ichigo's frown deepened.

Then both the facial expressions turned to confusion as the skipping princess asked Renji to wait as she seemingly began to look for something.

The search for something has the schoolgirl's short skirt fluttering and teasing the two pairs of brown eyes with its tantalizing promises of forbidden exposure of milky-white smooth skin.

Ichigo has half the mind to look away. As tempting as the sensuous sight in front of him were; high and low, reaching up and bending low. He knew he should not be ogling an innocent friend of his like a piece of meat. But his errant eyes thought otherwise and they followed the fluid movement of the almost dancing gracefully, gentle healer.

Then it hit him like a football going into goal before it was ruled offside. If his lucky pair of eyes were mesmerized by the sight being offered unknowingly by her, then...

"Renji, are you looking at what I think you are looking at?" Ichigo asked in a low, on the face of it, normal voice.

And Renji in return responded back with the same kind of tone. "How would you know what I am looking at if you yourself was not looking at what you think I am looking at?" Every word was in beat with the swinging of what was beneath the short school skirt.

Ichigo almost, almost wanted to turn his head and punched Renji in the face for assuming he was looking at what was suggested. But in doing so, he needed to move his head and he was currently finding it difficult to do so.

"Here it is!" The unsuspecting performer appeared to have found it. She turned to look at her friends. She was puzzled by the funny expressions and stiff postures.

"Huh? Is anything wrong, Kurosaki-kun, Abarai-kun?" She asked in curious confusion.

Renji just shook his head.

Ichigo swallowed, hard. "Nothing's wrong, Inoue. What were you looking for?" He was relieved his voice showed no sign of what he was experiencing.

Orihime accepted his answer without any doubt and nodded. She beamed a knowing smile.

"Hold out your hand, Abarai-kun." Orihime asked politely.

The big, tall red-haired shinigami held out his hand and grinned.

Ichigo scowled.

Orihime placed a key in Renji's hand. "This was what I was looking for, Kurosaki-kun. The key to my front door."

"Why are you giving your door's key to... to this criminal?!" Ichigo shouted at Orihime in jealous accusation.

"Oi! Mind your words!" Renji shouted at Ichigo. He made his artistic facial embellishments danced mockingly at the orange-haired jealous one. "Why, Ichigo, do you want one too?" He almost sang out his jeering.

"Why you..." Ichigo was stopped in his verbal assault on Renji when he felt a pair of very soft hands touching his right hand; he looked quickly to the girl holding his rough hand.

The blushing princess gave him a sweet, shy smile; she turned his hand palm up, placed a key on the palm, folded his fingers inwards, covered the fingers with her small hand, "Here you go, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime's sparkling eyes were on Ichigo but her mind was whispering, wittingly that what is a mere physical mental key when he has already gotten the key to her heart a long time ago.

Ichigo glanced tenderly at the gentle healer holding his hand and maybe, something else of his as well. He wondered what was with the faraway, blissful look. He laid his free hand on her hand.

Startled out of her romantic daydream, Orihime gazed upon her prince with much affection, "K-Kurosaki-k-kun?"

The larger hand tightened its grip, "Inoue,"

And two shades of brown collided.

As did two hearts.

"Oi, oi, oi. Just how many keys do you have, Inoue?" Renji held up his key and asked. He was a little bother by how he was given his key. The princess's fair hand did not even touch his hand as the key was placed in his palm.

Ichigo glared in displeasure at Renji. He was getting sick of his irritating 'oiing'. He continued to hold on to the princess' hands.

And Orihime was not making any effort to separate their hands as well.

"Oh, I have a baker's dozen. No, that is wrong. Do you know a baker's dozen actually means not twelve but thirteen." She provided the tiny tidbit of information to two wholly uninterested males. She saw the could-not-care-less faces. "I have twelve keys, Abarai-kun." She answered.

"Why do you have so many, Inoue? Did the locksmith force you to pay for so many?" A concerned Ichigo asked anxiously. He knew the gentle healer was on a rather tight budget.

"Um, no. The landlord wanted all the locks changed. He paid for them. The locksmith said that a p-pretty g-girl like m-me must be very p-popular." Orihime stammered as she repeated as to what was said. Seeing no objections to what was implied, she continued.

"He made me all those extra keys for free and he gave me a name card as well. He said to call him anytime, regardless of the hour. I assumed he meant when I find myself unable to get into my own apartment, right?" She asked innocently.

"Where's the name card now, Inoue?" Ichigo asked in a quiet voice belying as to what he was going to do with the lecherous locksmith once he get his hands on him.

The orange-haired protector was livid.

How dared he lump Inoue as one of those girls!

She might have the looks, the body, the everything but Inoue Orihime is definitely not that kind of girl.

She is an angel.

His beautiful angel.

He was just going to have to explain in his own special way.

Preferably with his fists.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

So intent was Ichigo concentrating on giving his brand of lesson to the locksmith that he did not hear the soft, concerned voice of his worried princess.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime repeated and she glanced anxiously at her silent prince. She nibbled nervously on her bottom lip, looked at Renji and...

"Kurosaki-kun?"

_'Too soft and gentle. Just like her.'_ Renji thought wishfully. He decided to help out the anxious healer.

"Oi! Ichigo!" He shouted and for added measure, he poked him on the side with his sharp elbow, hard.

"What the h... heck?! Why did you do that for?!" Ichigo almost said a bad word, in front of his princess He glared at Renji who directed his sight to the concerned healer.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you all right?"

"Yeah. Just thinking about something." He assured her. _'Thinking of methods to painfully advise somebody to not judge anyone based on appearances alone. Speaking of which...'_

"Where's the name card, Inoue?" He asked again with a wicked grin.

"Oh, Tatsuki-chan has it. She asked for it as I gave one of the keys to her. She was muttering about a 'Peter File'. Maybe this 'Peter File' needs to have his locks change or something? Do we know a 'Peter File', Kurosaki-kun?" Oritime asked naively and she missed the incredulously looks she was getting from the two brightly hair-colored males.

"Maybe it's somebody at her doujou." Ichigo answered while trying to suppress the veins on his forehead from twitching too furiously. _'Good old Tatsuki. Always keeping an eye out for his girl...' _His appreciation for his childhood friend screeched to a halt.

_'His girl.'_ He liked the sound of it.

Noticing their hands were still wrapped one on top of each other, he held them up, "So, besides Tatsuki, me and this freeloader,"

"Hey!"

Ichigo blatantly ignored Renji. "Have you given your keys to anybody else?"

Orihime shook her head.

"That's good. Promise me something, Inoue." Ichigo looked at Orihime solemnly. The wide-eyed princess glanced back at him with every intention of doing so. "Promise me you will not give any of your keys to anyone without telling me first, okay?"

Orihime's face lighted up with a beaming smile. "That was what Tatsuki-chan asked of me." She supplied gleefully.

Once again, Ichigo was grateful for Tatsuki for being Orihime's friend. Then he smirked at Orihime. "And yet, you did not inform Tatsuki first before giving out these two keys." He teased her as one of the said key was still cocooned within their hands.

Orihime gave a small sheepish smile. "I am sure Tatsuki-chan will understand. I trust Kurosaki-kun." She said softly.

Nodding at her. He felt elated. She trusted him! Then remembering she has given the key to Renji first. He asked sourly. "How about Renji?"

"I will tell Tatsuki-chan tomorrow." There was no mention of trust.

Renji did not know why he felt so nonplussed about the lack of the single word regarding him from her. But he did not let it show, instead he asked about their friend. "This Tatsuki sounds like a very good friend of yours." He hoped he was going to be one as well.

Both Ichigo and Orihime nodded their heads in unison.

"Tatsuki-chan is a great friend and she is the second strongest girl in Japan." Orihime added with pride.

"Really?"

"Yea. She's a black belt in karate. You should see what she can do with her bare hands." Ichigo grinned maniacally at Renji. "She can separate a watermelon into two perfect halves, so imagine what she could do with bare flesh." He lowered his voice, "Especially a low hanging pair of balls." He warned sadistically.

Renji cringed.

Ichigo grinned.

And Orihime looked baffled.

"What kind of fruits are we talking about?" She asked, bewilderment apparently on her confused face.

"Nothing." Ichigo chuckled at Renji's obvious discomfort and distracted the princess by squeezing her hands.

"I should be going." Renji mumbled and walked towards the door.

"No. Wait." Ichigo called out.

"What?!"

"Listen. Even though you have a key, you don't just use it. You knock on the door and not just a gentle tap. You knock as if the hounds of hell were after you. And if there's no response, then you use your key, but you shout before you walk in. And when I said shout, I mean shout like the hellhounds are going for a certain anatomy of your body, understand?" Ichigo gave a threatening glare at Renji after his rather longish cautionary speech.

"Yeah, you mad dog."

"What did you say?!"

"Nothing!" And Renji ran out of the door.

"Why that... "

"Kurosaki-kun, shouldn't you call your family to tell them you will not be home for dinner?"

Ichigo gave her a boyish grin before releasing her hands. He tucked the key into his pocket. He took out his cellphone. Just as he was going to use it, they heard the sound of a key in the lock and then the door opened, a red-haired grinning face poked in, "Just checking." He smirked. "I'm really going this time. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." The smirk turned into a leer.

Ichigo's face heated up and it was as red as his anger. He stormed toward the door, fully intending to slam it into the pineapple's face.

"I am not a pervert like you! Don't put me in the same league as you!" His hand on the door, Ichigo was ready when...

"But Ichigo, I just said don't do anything I wouldn't do. I didn't say about doing anything perverted, unless you are thinking of doing what I think you are thinking, then, welcome to my league, man." Renji grinned, pervertedly?

"OUT! Just get the bloody hell out!" Ichigo shoved the mocking face out of the door and slammed the door.

Loud laughing signified Renji did not get his face be kissed by the door.

Ichigo slumped against the door, closed his eyes and rubbed his face in frustration.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

He opened his eyes slowly. His troubled brown eyes met worried brown eyes. "I am fine, Inoue. And sorry." He apologized to the gentle healer.

"Whatever for, Kurosaki-kun?"

"For swearing in front of you and slamming your door."

Light, delightful giggling were welcomed warmly by his suffering 'from a bastard's irritating guffawing' ears.

"Don't be silly, Kurosaki-kun. You do not have to say sorry for such a trivial thing. I have already told you, you do not have to restrain yourself from uttering what you really want to say." She smiled serenely at him, cheeks hinting a bright hue of pink at her light reproach of her scowling protector.

He smirked back at her. "Then how about the slamming of the door?" He reminded her and checked to see if she was going to chastise him for trying to damage Renji's face.

"It was not that loud." She answered truthfully.

The smirk turned smugly contented.

"What would Kurosaki-kun want to do now?" Inoue Orihime asked of her orange-haired prince when no words were forthcoming from his handsome face.

Kurosaki Ichigo lazily leaned himself off the door, locked his darkening chocolate brown eyes with the gentle healer, his breathing slowed to an almost agonizing, sluggish rate, his heart clenched tightly, painfully and he tried to ignore the queasy feeling he was feeling in his tummy.

But most of all, he desperately tried to pay no heed to the sensation below his stomach.

He doubts the auburn-haired angelic princess would want to do what he so desirously wants to do with... her.

(恋姬)

_(Did I say a short update? Almost four thousand words. Kind of makes you wonder what the full chapter could be like? The concluding part to this chapter will be as fast as how this story gets back its numbers of being a favorite and being followed. Did you see how many there were for my last update for another story? Sure is disheartening. I thought there were more before the story was deleted. Same with all of my stories. It will be hard to want to update due to the lack of interest for all my stories. It would seem like a waste of time for doing something no one really cares. I hope my speculations are wrong. Excuse my ramblings, I am just feeling discouraged by life, the universe and everything. And dad playing his melancholic songs are not helping. Although, the lyrics are giving me ideas for new stories. What if I start writing new stories if my old ones do not get back their likes and followed. That's something to think about, right? )_

_(Oh, before I forget. A big 'Thank You' to **Askosh Mosey**. Many thanks for your warmest wishes. At least I still have one friend on this blasted website.)_


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